


Phan || Before and After Eighteen

by notreadytobe



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: AlternateUniverse, BandAU, Concert, Fluff, M/M, Phan - Freeform, Phanfiction, beforeandaftereighteen, notreadytobe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 10:38:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8140906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notreadytobe/pseuds/notreadytobe
Summary: "This song is for the most beautiful boy in the world. With jet black hair and blue-green eyes. I was broken, you're piecing me together again. Thank you. This one is called, 'Before and After Eighteen.'"





	1. Before and After Eighteen

The lights were beating down on everyone's faces. Dan, the lead singer of 'All the Things,' a newly rising band, had a wave of butterflies crashing around in his stomach. Words would never be able to describe Phil, the man who, as clichéd as it is, saved his life. Until that one fateful night. Phil couldn't come to one of their shows, and Dan truly understood why. Why that weird guy with mismatched socks and snowy skin had entered his heart so easily. Words flowed onto the page, and half of it didn't even make sense. He could see Phil in his entirety. He could see him as colours, as days, as storms and as sounds.

The whole night had been leading up to this one song. A hometown show in Manchester. It wasn't really Dan's hometown. It was Phil's. But Phil was his home, more than anything else. So in a hometown show in Manchester, Dan was going to perform - no, he wasn't going to perform this. Dan was going to do this song, just for autumn nights and sandy beaches. For late night Skype calls, and for nights of tears and butterfly kisses.

"This song is for the most beautiful boy in the world. With jet black hair and blue-green eyes. I was broken, you're piecing me together again. Thank you. This one is called, 'Before and After Eighteen.'" He sat down at the piano that was rolled in by Chris, one of the stage crew. It was old and the wood was wearing, but it reminded him of their apartment. It was better than any other piano for performing. His fingers began to play the keys.

"A record was scattered broken - all over a grey-black floor," Tears clawed at Dan's eyes, but he told himself to hold it together. "Of the old record shop - for eighteen years," Dan Howell was only eighteen years old when he met Phil Lester, the charming twenty-two year old who reminded him of the unknown. He sang another verse, and sighed deeply into the microphone. He looked up and saw him, stood with a plaid shirt and messy hair, holding his hands to his mouth. He smiled at Dan with his eyes, so Dan smiled back and began singing again.

"And then a summer storm - with a fading sunshine smile - decided to cast rays on it - after eighteen years," The lights had been directed away from PJ and Dodie, the other two members of the band. All eyes and beams were concentrated on him and the boy with sparkling ocean grey eyes and black skinny jeans.

"You never have made sense - the raven never flew so far - and the blue was never really," Phil was closer than before, and Dan kept singing to him. Singing to Phil was so easy, and so beautiful. Phil's eyes were closed but still they smiled. His body was shaking ever so slightly and he was a cool breeze.

"But we're six years to seven - to eight to eleven to twenty five - to twenty nine and one hundred," They promised each other that they'd always be together. And yes, a hundred isn't always, but always isn't a number. Always was an unspoken force that they both knew. Dan hadn't felt that he needed to share that with the world. Because always was just him and Phil.

"And I seem to have lost - tear tracks and rainy afternoons," Dan once told Phil that he hated rainy afternoons because they reminded him of the tears that constantly fell on his face. Phil told him to think of summer and an autumn's breeze instead. Dan felt warm in Phil's arms and slept restfully that night.

"And I seem to have found - summer days and faded smiles," Dan ended the song surrounded by silence. He noticed little droplets on the ivory and wiped his face. Maybe crying isn't so bad when you're happy. Or when you're being hugged by your favourite person in the world. He held on to Phil for dear life, but he knew he'd never lose him. He wouldn't let himself.

"Dan - bear... I just - I love you so much."

"I love you too, my lion. And it's not just a hundred."

"Always?"

"It's always."


	2. by All The Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the full lyrics of the song

a record was scattered broken

all over a grey-black floor

of the old record shop

for eighteen years

no one thought to pick it up

or at least buy a new one

call 'clean up on aisle never'

for eighteen years

and then a summer storm

with a fading sunshine smile

decided to cast rays on it

after eighteen years

you never have made sense

the raven never flew so far

and the blue was never really

but we're six years to seven

to eight to eleven to twenty five

to twenty nine and one hundred

and i seem to have lost

tear tracks and rainy afternoons

a record and a stormy summer's day

would never be a perfect match

until they were seen

after eighteen years

we would never be okay

eyes of society and mother's views

but i said i'd never be okay

until i found you

but you know that i'm okay

you know that i'm okay

that i'm okay

i'm okay

you never have made sense

the raven never flew so far

and the blue was never really

but we're six years to seven

to eight to eleven to twenty five

to twenty nine and one hundred

and i seem to have found

summer days and faded smiles


End file.
